1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector having pre-assembled terminal modules, and particularly to a cable connector having means for securely retaining the pre-assembled terminal modules to an insulative housing of the connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, cable connectors available for mass production require handling all contacts within a connector body first and then terminating all cables directly to the respective contacts or indirectly to the respective contacts via a printed circuit board in the connector body. It permits termination of a small number of wires in a more open area with easier access to the termination area and allows for less complicated assembly of cable connectors. It does not suit complicated cable connectors having a small dimension and a large number of wires because it is difficult to terminate the cables to the respective contacts directly or indirectly in the connector body.
However, higher speed, higher density and more complicated cable connectors may have a large number of signal contacts and grounding terminals/buses for protecting the signals transmitting through the signal contacts. It is not convenient or economical to handle so many contacts into the connector body and then terminate a same number of wires to corresponding contacts. If one or more of the contacts are not correctly handled into the connector housing or correctly terminated to the corresponding wires, rework is difficult and costly and the cable connector may be discarded. This invention is aimed at addressing the above issue.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector having pre-assembled terminal module for facilitating the assembly of terminals thereof into an insulative housing thereof;
A second object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector having means for preventing terminals thereof from tipping; and
A third object of the present invention is to provide a convenient and economy method of assembling a cable connector.
To obtain the above object, a cable connector comprises an insulative housing, a pair of individual terminal modules assembled to the housing, a cable end connected to the terminal modules, an insulator located between the terminal modules and a cover over-molded or mechanically joined to the housing. The housing defines two slots. Each terminal module includes an insulative base, a plurality of terminals and multiple grounding blades attached to the insulative base. The cable end includes a number of conductive cores and a corresponding number of metal webs circling corresponding conductive cores. The conductive cores are electrically connected to corresponding terminals and the metal webs are electrically connected to corresponding grounding blades. The terminal modules are inserted into the corresponding housing slots after the terminals and the grounding blades are assembled to the insulative base after the cable is terminated. The insulator is located between the spaced grounding blades and bears against rear portions of the grounding blades to prevent one row of terminals from tipping toward the other row.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.